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The Conservatory
Celebrates Its 100 Year Birthday!
The Garfield Park Conservatory
along with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
welcomes you to explore our site and discover the treasures
within this historic Chicago botanical conservatory.
Did you know that Chicago’s botanical gem
under glass, the Garfield Park Conservatory, has been home to
rare tropical plants for almost 100 years? (The Garfield Park
Conservatory opened to the public in April of 1908.) So grab your
party hats, and get ready to help us celebrate the Garfield Park
Conservatory’s birthday all year long during our Centennial
Celebration.
During your visit, make sure to brush up your Conservatory history. The Garfield Park Conservatory
Alliance is offering a number of exciting programming events
that will enhance the family-oriented visitor’s experience of
both history and horticulture.
Become A Member
The Garfield Park
Conservatory Alliance, a non-profit organization, strengthens
community through the unique combination of the Garfield Park
Conservatory Campus, other botanical resources, and the
engagement of community members.
With its innovative programs,
the Alliance enhances the environmental, social and economic
vitality of Chicago’s West Side and encourages the larger
community to explore the fundamental connection between plants
and life. Membership in the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance supports
one of Chicago's great botanical resources.
So step into our world and step into another place and time,
where it's always warm and lush, where you will be surrounded by
some of the most historic and dramatic architecture of our time.
[JOIN NOW]
ADDRESS
Garfield Park
Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Ave.
Chicago, IL 60624-1996
HOURS
The Garfield Park
Conservatory is "Open Every Day of the
Year" like its sister facility, the
Lincoln Park Conservatory.
Daily Hours: 9 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 9 am - 8 pm
TELEPHONE
(312) 746-5100
FAX
(773)
638-1777
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 Age
of Azaleas Spring Flower Show
The 2008 Centennial Flower Shows
include a number of historical plants and themes that
reflect a century of American culture and horticulture,
and pay tribute to the Conservatory's long, illustrious
past. The first half of the Spring Show features
azaleas, some descended from those in the Columbian
Exposition of 1893. The second half highlights
hydrangeas. More than 5,000 bulbs, including tulips,
daffodils and hyacinths, will be in bloom in the Show
House. [MORE]
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 The
Greenest Show On Earth
The Conservatory opened to the public
in April 1908. To honor
and commemorate the Centennial
of this significant structure the Chicago Park District,
the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and other civic
and cultural institutions will partner to present a
series
of events celebrating this important milestone.
[MORE]
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 Sugar
from the Sun Now Open
1,850 plants 200 tons of stone 3,900
linear feet of steel. Built in the former Sweet
House, this ground-breaking immersion experience will
plunge visitors into the life of the Conservatory’s
tropical collection – from mangos and bananas to oranges
and papayas. Visitors will use all five senses as they
experience how a plant uses air, water and light to make
sugar -- the energy source not only for plants, but for
all life on earth. [MORE]
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 Conserve-A-Story Exhibit:
A Collaborative Exhibition Celebrating A Neighborhood's
Unwritten History!
Opening April 10th in the Community
Room as part of Garfield Park Conservatory’s Centennial
Celebration, “Conserve-A-Story” will unveil some of the
untold stories of the surrounding area through the eyes
of those who have lived here. This exhibition is a
collaborative community project, in which residents
showcase neighborhood history through a collection of
narratives and portraits.!
[MORE]
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Get
Ready! Get Set! Grow! Kid & Family Fun!
The Conservatory is a fantastic place
to bring family members of all ages. Something’s always
growing, and there’s always something new to discover!
To make your “growing” experience here even more
enjoyable, we offer a number of special educational
opportunities FREE for kids and families!
[MORE]
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 Teachers
Enhance Your School Field Trip
Teachers are invited to lead their
groups through the collection of the Conservatory at no
cost. Or they may enhance their existing curricula by
reserving an Exploration Kit to use within the unique
and exotic plant collection that is found at one of the
world’s
largest conservatories!
[MORE]
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 Museum of Botany: Plants Have Ancestors
As a tribute to the Conservatory's
historic role as the Museum of Botany (a name bestowed
by the City of Chicago in 1931), a section of the Show
House becomes a botanical museum. This living time
capsule not only displays important plants of past
decades, but addresses botanical concepts that bring to
the forefront the role a conservatory plays in the
enduring connection between people and plants!
[MORE]
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 Inspired
By Nature — A New Conservatory Book
Published in honor of the centennial,
"Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park
Conservatory and Chicago's West Side "
blossoms into a living history that
looks to the future, and covers everything from the
history of the conservatory and Garfield Park to the
revival of the surrounding community. This fascinating
and comprehensive volume includes historical essays,
archival photography and plans, as contemporary
photography.
[BUY
NOW]
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 Volunteer
at the Garfield Park Conservatory!
Enjoy the beautiful, lush
surroundings of the Garfield Park Conservatory while
sharing your time and skills as a volunteer.
Opportunities abound! The Conservatory is undergoing a
revitalization of its buildings and programs. We are
looking for motivated and committed volunteers of all
ages to lend a hand and share their skills. Join our
team today!
[MORE]
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 Learn
About Trees with Our Spring Tree ID Walk
Learn how to identify city trees
through the seasons with Treekeeper Jim DeHorn of
Openlands Project. We will explore the trees of the
beautiful and historic Garfield Park. Dress
appropriately for weather. These walks take place rain
or shine. The Winter Tree ID Walk
is free and takes place May 16th from
10 am – Noon.
Meet in the Conservatory Lobby.
[MORE]
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